Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs - Scott Cunningham 1985
Garlic
The Herbs
(Allium sativum) N
Folk Names: Ajo (Spanish), Poor Man’s Treacle, Stinkweed
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Deity: Hecate
Powers: Protection, Healing, Exorcism, Lust, Anti-Theft
Ritual Uses: Garlic was eaten on festival days to Hecate, and was left at a crossroads as a sacrifice in Her name.
Magical Uses: Garlic was once worn to guard against the plague. It is still used to absorb diseases. Simply rub fresh, peeled cloves of garlic onto the afflicted part of the body, then throw into running water. An old spell utilized garlic in protecting against hepatitis. To do this, simply wear thirteen cloves of garlic at the end of a cord around the neck for thirteen days. On the last day, in the middle of the night, walk to a corner of an intersection of two streets, remove the necklace, throw it behind you and run home without looking back.
Garlic is also extremely protective. Sailors carry some while on board ship to protect against its wreckage. Soldiers wore garlic as a defense in the middle ages, while Roman soldiers ate it to give them courage. It is placed in the home to guard against the intrusion of evil, to keep out robbers and thieves, and is hung over the door to repel envious people. Garlic is especially protective in new homes.
Worn, garlic guards against foul weather (mountaineers wear it) as well as monsters, and it also shields you from the blows of your enemies.
When evil spirits are about, bite into garlic to send them away, or sprinkle powdered garlic on the floor (if you don’t mind smelling it for some time). Garlic is also placed beneath children’s pillows to protect them while asleep, and brides once carried a clove of garlic in her pocket for good luck and to keep evil far from her on her big day. Rubbed onto pots and pans before cooking in them, garlic removes negative vibrations which might otherwise contaminate the food.
When eaten, garlic acts as a lust-inducer, and when a magnet or lodestone is rubbed with garlic it loses its magical powers.